


Maknae On Top

by froggyxfluff



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Con Artists, Enemies to Friends, Enemies to Lovers, Gambling, Gangsters, Gen, M/M, Robin Hood References, Slow Burn, Tags May Change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-16
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-14 13:27:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28796127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/froggyxfluff/pseuds/froggyxfluff
Summary: Yang Jeongin. "The Maknae On Top". He wouldn't use the word gang, but that's exactly what they are, trying to do some good and have some fun. What ever could go wrong?
Relationships: Han Jisung | Han/Lee Minho | Lee Know
Kudos: 15





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Heyy!! This is totally inspired by Maknae On Top! I'm trying this new thing where I post things as I write them because I think it will help motivate me. I'll try to update regularly, thanks for clicking on this :D

Jeongin likes lots of things. He likes his reputation and his job. He likes his subordinates. He likes the fur coat he pulled from a rack outside a charity store- of course paid for with the money he earned from something he likes even more; gambling. He likes the way Chan sings him to sleep after a drunken rampage too- coincidentally like the one on the night where he picked up his beloved jacket.  
There’s something he likes much more than all of those things though; being on top. It’s because he knows he belongs there. Since childhood, he had a natural affinity to rise upwards, even when it was least expected of him. He knows it and so does everyone else.  
That's why now, opposite the table from Minho, Seungmin and Hyunjin, there’s not a single doubt in his mind. Minho moves quickly; he doesn’t need to put a lot of thought into any of his gambles because he trusts himself to be right. It’s not to say that Seungmin doesn’t hold that same confidence. When Jeongin, Chan and Changbin met him, they had the same initial thought _This kid doesn’t stand a chance._. They all- very quickly- learned to never underestimate him again. He’s like a viper, maybe worse, calculating his moves carefully, striking once, leaving you dead in the sand. When he had started out he was easy to read, predictable. Now, under Minho’s tutorage, he’s a weapon. Good thing Jeongin is too. He throws his cards down on the table, Changbin immediately flooding the room with words of praise, “As expected of our Innie”.  
Minho sighs in pain as he too lets his cards go. Felix and Jisung gasp, partly impressed, partly pitiful. Seungmin is the most disappointed of all, handing his new pair of sunnies across the table to Jeongin. “Good game IN”.  
“Thank youuuu” the maknae grins. He turns to the mirror set up across the studio. The sunglasses complete his look.  
“I can’t believe you” Minho sighs. “Even a casual game and you can’t let poor Seungmin win”. Everyone knows it's a salty dig- he’s not pissed and it’s not like Seungmin is so used to losing that he needed a win- he just needs to let his frustration out.  
“I wouldn’t be doing my job then would I?”. Jeongin’s across the room now, still admiring himself.  
“Hey Hyunjin,” Hyunjin looks up from his book, “You ever read about The Robin Hood complex?” Minho asks.  
“Sure” Hyunjin replies “but it’s pretty normal, humans tend to want to look out for each other. If you’re talking about pathological altruism, shit I’m not even touching that.” he scoffs.  
Chan looks over defensively, “At least we’re doing some good,” he nods in the direction of Han and Felix. They’re both light and agile, with quick and delicate hands. Con artists. They started alone scamming just about anyone- at first, it was for the money but soon enough the thrill took over. There’s no fun in serving watered-down vodka to drunken junkies. Scamming sober capitalist crooks; it’s exhilarating. That’s why they joined this unspoken alliance with the others. They can pull off all the scams they want, guilt-free so Changbin can build food parcels for the neighbourhood kids courtesy of some big heartless corporation.  
Jeongin can accept Han and Felix’s methods- they guarantee success and that’s what he needs- but Minho is opposed. He says it’s not fair, not leaving things up to chance but chance plays no role in high taxes and low wages.  
“Hey, hey, c’mon kids,” Jeongin saunters over to Jisung and Felix, placing his hands on each of their shoulders, “they are doing good. We said we’d agree to disagree”. With his arms raised, the gun under his coat is visible. He hardly removes it from its holster- that’s what Chan and Changbin are for. “So let’s agree,” he’s across the room again, at the now empty table. He pulls a roll of paper from seemingly nowhere, spreading it out clearly, “on our next target.”.  
Jeongin watches as the realisation hits each of his elders. Shared looks of shock transform into grins.  
“You’re serious?” Felix asks.  
Jeongin smiles “Always.”


	2. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey!! I'm back (already). I think the chapters will get longer and longer as I write! Thank you so much for reading teehee

“Do you think… this is a good idea right?”. Changbin asks. He’s staring at Jeongin’s back as he sees off his guests but the question is aimed at Chan. Chan hums in acknowledgement, eyes glued to Jeongin’s document. He looks up at Changbin when he realises what he’s being asked.   
“When has he ever been wrong?”.   
“When has who ever been wrong?” Jeongin returns, loosening another button on his waistcoat before lazily draping himself over a chair.   
“You,” Changbin says bluntly, earning him a look from Chan.   
“What exactly is your plan?” Chan gestures towards the photograph on the table. “He’s the biggest we’ve ever targeted”.   
“Exactly and we’re the biggest we’ve ever been”. He’s taken off his long jacket, leaving the torso between his waistcoat and bell-bottom jeans exposed. He stands out next to his guards, who are always wearing black jeans, black t-shirts and black leather jackets. “There’s eight of us now. I had Hyunjin make up a profile, here.” He materialises another file, again out of nowhere.   
“Think of this as our debut.”, and with that, he’s disappeared across the flat again.   
Chan and Changbin scan across the file. The target, Choi Jihyeon, aged 37, started his company aged 28. He celebrates the 10 year anniversary of his company in a few weeks time, alongside his birthday. He’s a big spender. _Big spending means big bets_ Changbin thinks to himself. Neither he nor Chan have realised Jeongin’s gone, too busy trying to piece together this hustle. Mr Choi made his money manufacturing and selling face packs in the process doing something… else- something that makes Chan wince. (Had Hyunjin included pictures, his stomach would be turning- Chan can handle human issues but seeing animals like that would hurt.) He keeps it through off-shore embezzlement and tax evasion.   
Chan turns to Changbin, chuckling “This information, his accountants probably don’t even have this. What a prick”. Changbin can’t help but smile himself. “Hyunjin’s pretty smart-”.   
“He is indeed”. Jeongin agrees. The two of them look up at their boss, now in a new outfit. “Huuh? Huh?”   
Jeongin turns, arms out, showing off his garms. A white shirt with black spots and black leather pants, of course, topped with his favourite coat. He giggles gently when he sees his hyungs’ reactions.   
“I get what the glasses were for now” Chan tosses them in Jeongin’s direction.   
“You look really nice Jeongin,” Changbin says, watching the maknae as he gently adjusts the glasses balancing on the bridge of his nose. Everything about their operation feels so much more real now and his voice is swelling with pride.   
“I didn’t forget about you guys,” Jeongin’s tone is softer now- shy and affectionate. “Check your rooms, I figured if I needed a makeover, so did you.”. The three of them share looks. Looks that say “thank you” but mean “I love you”. They all look out for each other and through the years they’ve grown to become a family.   
Jeongin looks over the folder once more. Through these glasses everything is orange. He picked out matching pairs when he bought suits for Chan and Changbin but he hadn’t found a suitable style for his own- now thanks to Seungmin he has. It looks like everything's on fire, and the flat is lit up by the flames. _Maybe we should get a fireplace._ Jeongin thinks, looking around the apartment for the right spot. He knows he’s getting ahead of himself, but he knows how to save- he’ll afford one soon enough now that they have enough funds and manpower to run bigger scams. The plan was always to get bigger, but like he said _This is the biggest we’ve been._ Maybe it’s the biggest they’ll ever be; eight feels like enough and he really doesn’t have the energy or resolve to find anyone else worthy of joining their group. The only boy left to prove himself is Hyunjin. He’s doing well and Jeongin almost trusts him. There’s just something missing. Jeongin doesn’t know what it is, but he knows he’ll recognise it once it crops up. Still, that doesn’t mean he’s completely suspicious and he’s worth keeping on- whatever's wrong with him is probably not anything too serious.   
Before he can finish his thought, Chan and Changbin re-emerge in their new black suits, except the ties. Jeongin didn’t even have to tell them- save the ties for special occasions. Besides, Chan and Changbin know what suits them and have accessorised appropriately, Changbin choosing to push his sunglasses up into his hair. It’s a grandfatherly habit Chan thinks, but it exposes Changbins forehead drawing attention to his soft cheekbones.   
“You ready?”   
Chan raises his eyebrows and Changbin nods  
“This is the plan…” 

“That… makes so much sense?”. At first, Changbin didn’t get it. Now he does. It's perfect.   
“The others are already downstairs, setting up” Jeongin beams. You can hear the excitement in his voice.   
“They know the plan?” Chan asks.   
“No, and here on out you two will always be the first to know. That being said, if the others talk to each other they’re bound to figure out what's going on.”.   
They all sit in silence like they’re letting everything sink in.   
“C’mon.” Jeongnin jumps up. “We ought to tell them, lend a hand while we’re at it.”. His two guards follow after him as they descend the stairs to the bar.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whatever could 'the plan' be teehee (⊙_⊙)？


	3. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im starting to find my feet with this fic so hopefully i can be consistent with uploads!!   
> also, a reminder that there will be mentions of guns, knives, alcohol and violence throughout this fic  
> tysm for reading (*￣3￣)╭

Hyunjin is deep within a book while Felix dusts around him, almost too timid to breathe in Hyunjin’s direction. Neither one of them realises just how nervous the other is. In Hyunjin’s eyes, Felix is terrifying- he’s a criminal- who knows what he’s capable of? He has experiences that Hyunjin can only imagine. _One wrong move_ , Hyunjin thinks, _and he’ll kill me._ In Felix’s eyes, Hyunjin is intimidating- he’s at one of the top universities, all of his own merit- how could Felix hold a conversation with him? _If I say the wrong thing,_ Felix thinks, _he’ll take me for an idiot._ So, the two of them continue to silently complete their tasks. 

Around back, inside the store room, Seungmin wants to scream. If Felix and Hyunjin were painfully unaware, Seungmin is painfully aware of the tension between Jisung and Minho. When they had all first met- only a fortnight ago- Seungmin begged Minho not to argue with Han or Felix for that matter. Minho quickly retaliated- if he didn’t agree with someone’s morals, he couldn’t just buddy up with them, pretending that everything was okay. Seungmin quipped back “If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say it at all.”. He thought that was the end of the matter.  
Now he realises that he could not have been more wrong. Jisung seems to be maintaining a 3ft distance from Minho. Minho shatters the boundary with sharp looks and deep sighs. With each little move that Minho makes Jisung looks more and more like he’s about to burst into tears. At first, Seungmin was anticipating it- desperate for Minho to see the effect of his stubbornness. Now he wants it to stop.  
It’s when Jisung missteps, sending a screwdriver skittling across the floor to an unretrievable spot that Minho snaps,  
“Hey Han. I needed that screwdriver. To put up this shelf- remember the one you asked me to? Now how am I gonna put it up, hmm?”. Jisung just stares, wide-eyed and speechless. Seungmin grabs him by the shoulders, already pulling him towards the back door just as he says,  
“We’ll get another one from the car.”

Jisung is perched on the edge of the car boot as Seungmin digs around, looking for the tool box.  
“I’m sorry he’s being so horrible.”  
“No its o-”  
“It's not okay. I told him to behave but he’s being a dickhead.”  
Jisung gaps, stammering out a rushed response,  
“Wait, I mean, aren’t you, isn’t he going to hear us?!” the last part comes out as a harsh stage whisper. Seungmin just chuckles,  
“I’m not afraid of him”.  
Jisung carries on his anxious rambles,  
“Not even when you first met him? Wasn’t he mean to you? I mean sure, he’s attractive, I won’t deny that I mean, that face, you know, wow. But why is he like that? So cold? You’d think he had it easy you know, why does he have to take it out on me? He’s not horrible to Felix like that…”.  
“You got that all off your chest?”. Seungmin suppresses his smile as he asks- Jisung seemed so tough at first that now Seungmin finds his tenderness rather sweet. He thinks for a few seconds before he answers Jisung,  
“When I first met him, he was intimidating for about 20 minutes, he was mean to me, he wasn’t attractive-” Seungmin gestures towards his face, looking right at Jisung who’s listening intently; as he listens his lip hangs open a little, in a way that's slightly childish “-his face was all bruised up, I don’t know why he’s like that and Jisung I don’t know why he hates you- I mean other than for the fact that he ‘disagrees with your methods’ whatever that means”.  
Jisung was worried he had bombarded Seungmin but Seungmin’s level headed words calm him. He doesn’t have a full answer, or even a solution but now- he thinks- he might have something else.  
“Hey Seungmin?”.  
Seungmin hums as he looks up  
“We’re friends right?”.  
“Of course we are!”. The boys share now familiar smiles, accepting and revelling in their new found amity.  
“Hello!!!” Minho bellows into the alleyway, “IN called a meeting, get inside”.  
“C’mon,” Seungmin slams the boot shut as Jisung hops out.  
“What about the screwdriver?”  
“Oh there is none, just figured you needed saving,”. Seungmin chuckles awkwardly and it makes Jisung laugh. _Minho should hear him laugh_ Seungmin thinks _he’d like his laugh._

“We’re going to play poker.”  
“Poker?”, Hyunjin asks. He looks around the room. They’re sitting on the floor in a circle. They’ve never done this before. It’s weird.  
“Here,” Jeongin hands the file to Minho, who holds it open for the others to read. Hyunjin sits solemnly as he waits. He already knows this stuff, but he’s not exactly sure what to do. Talk to Jeongin? Look at the file? He chooses neither and stares at the floor instead. Felix mopped it well.  
When he got pulled into all of this he decided he’d stay objective. Speak when spoken to, take his money and go home to his dorm. He figured crime was better than student debt.  
“So he’ll come here on his anniversary and his birthday? And we fix the game?”  
“Exactly”, Jeongin smiles as Minho catches on quickly.  
“So why are we opening a bar?” Han asks. Felix looks between Jisung and Jeongin, nodding, anticipating Jeongin’s response.  
“Because it’ll lure him here. We won’t complicate things, the only manipulation will be either Felix or Han dealing. The first game we’ll let him use one of his own dealers and play- we won’t try to lose but we won’t try to win. We’ll make ourselves look like easy targets. The 2nd game it’s only fair we use one of ours-” he points at Han and Felix, “- decide amongst yourselves who it is- and stack the deck so we win. He’ll bet highly thinking it's an easy win, and we’ll take it all.”  
The boys look around the room at each other. This is really real. Jeongin’s keeping it simple, but having to run an entire bar- it’s a commitment. This is only just the start.  
“Money from the bar will go back into the bar. At least for the first few weeks we’ll have to serve watery vodka where possible. On nights Hyunjin, will manage the bar with anyone who isn’t in the back room”  
“How am I supposed to do a degree and bartend at the same time?” Hyunjin asks.  
“You’ll manage. In the days you can study, Seungmin can cover earlier shifts. You might want to consider moving in upstairs.” Jeongin looks around the room.  
“All of you, we have the space. It’ll make things easier. You can think about it while you finish your work”. He dismisses them. 

Minho wanted proof. He’s getting it now. Han wishes he could just disappear. The thought of messing up in front of him makes him light headed. Felix had some business with Changbin, showing him how to mark bottles so Hyunjin would know which ones were diluted, leaving Han dealing a practice game between I.N, Chan and Minho.  
“Deal so I get a straight flush.” Minho says bluntly, not caring enough to look at Jisung. Chan wishes Minho would be nicer. Forcing Han to prove himself at every turn will only make him nervous. Jisung surprises him when he says,  
“What suit?”. Minho looks up, aggravated. He stares at Han, hard, but Han carries on strategically shuffling the deck pretending that he doesn’t feel eyes on him. He tries not to regret asking. He doesn’t like Minho’s games, so Han will play his own. It's only when Minho lets out a little, “Huh?”, that Han acknowledges him. He looks straight into his eyes,  
“I said, what suit?”  
“Hearts” Minho replies. He stares back, unfazed. He likes this side of Jisung. _Like??_ Minho catches himself mid-thought. _I just prefer it._ he tells himself. Chan and Jeongin share looks. Seungmin had mentioned tension, but nothing like what they’ve just seen. They both know, they just witnessed the start of something- its not clear exactly what, but it’s something. 

Changbin stacks the store room shelves with the liquor bottles. He likes the way they clink against each other- the sound is rather satisfying.  
“Here,” Felix sets down another crate of bottles on the floor.  
“They’re empty?”, Changbin lifts one of them, holding one up as an example.  
“We’ve got to fill them,” Felix says.  
Changbin would be lying if he said he wasn’t tired. He’s been working non-stop. He and Chan drove half the stock from the vendors to the bar themselves. On top of that, he had to clean out the spare bedrooms and build beds- he’s not even sure that any of the others want to move in. Jeongin said it was inevitable, and Changbin trusted that- he still does- so he sucks up his fatigue and helps Hyunjin carry the buckets of diluted spirits to the table in the store room, where Seungmin and Felix tediously funnel it into bottles. Hyunjin eventually joins the two of them, nodding intently as Felix shows him how to tell the bottles apart, explaining how many shots it takes to get someone drunk enough they won’t notice what they’re being served.  
“Don’t worry Hyunjin, you’re gonna be fine”, Felix reassures him.  
“Thanks”, Hyunjin smiles- and reader, the only way it can be described is :].  
“Well if you guys are okay down here, I’m knackered” Changbin yawns. He’s rather dramatic about it, exposing the gun tucked away under his blazer as he stretches his arms. It’s all Hyunjin can think about. He can feel the flush of his blood warm his ears in anxiety. Even as Changbin envelops Seungmin in a gentle back-hug, Hyunjin is in disbelief- the lack of hostility between them is surprising. Maybe Seungmin doesn’t carry anything so Changbin’s not scared. Hyunjin looks over at Felix. _There’s no way he’s carrying._. Felix is dressed in skinny jeans and a turtle neck. There’s no way. Seungmin on the other hand. _He always wears that jacket._ Its oversized and tan, so he looks like a teddy. _A teddy with a glock._ Hyunjin thinks, making himself smirk at the thought.  
“Hey Seungmin.” Seungmin looks up.  
“Do you have a gun?”.  
Seungmin chuckles, slipping a pistol out from a hidden pocket within his jacket.  
“There Hyunjin, you feel better now?”  
“No, it’s not like I’m scared”. Hyujin’s eyes dart over to Felix. His hands are behind his back. When he shows them, he’s holding a needle-point pocket knife. He flicks the blade open, placing it on the table next to Seungmin’s pistol.  
“Hyunjin,” Felix looks in his eyes, “we won’t hurt you. These are a last resort y’know? We'd never use 'em on a friend. You should talk to Jeongin about getting one.”  
“And if you don’t want one, talk to Minho,” Seungmin adds, “he can teach you to defend yourself in other ways”- playfully jabbing the air to emphasise his point.  
“Thanks guys,” Hyunjin sighs, lowering his eyes and fixing them there. _I'm a friend huh?_

“How did you do that?”  
Jisung shrugs as he clears the chips and cards off the table “Stacked the deck, like IN said”.  
“But how, I watched you shuffle it.”  
“To you that's shuffling. I know where the cards are, I know where I’m putting them”  
“Okay then, how do you keep track?” Minho continues his interrogation.  
“One side of the deck is slightly slanted. We sanded it down a little.”  
“Hah, so you’re not as good as you look”.  
That pisses Han off. It’s insulting but he doesn’t know what to say; how to sting Minho just as badly. He knows it shouldn’t hurt- he did what he was supposed to, he didn’t fuck up and he is good- but it does. The table is cleared. He has no reason to stay so he silently leaves the room.  
Minho tries not to pay attention to Han’s silence. _Whatever, it’s not like I want to talk to him anyway._ That’s what he tells himself, but beneath the lies, his irritation brews.


	4. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi, this update comes later than planned, im feeling a little ill these days, but that's okay! i'll still be writing. this chapter should hopefully start to establish the dynamics between the boys   
> thank you for reading <3   
> [ twitter](https://twitter.com/henchboych3nle)

Changbin wakes up to the sound of screaming. Again. It's been a couple of days since Jeongin offered to house everyone. All except Hyunjin have taken up on the offer. Changbin tosses and turns a couple of times before sitting up. Chan’s duvet is hurled across his mattress, probably in a rush to save the burning breakfast again. Changbin thinks they should just let Chan and Minho cook, but Chan and Minho insist that the youngers need to learn- “it’s a basic life skill. What if we’re not here to cook for them?”- that’s what Chan said. He’s right, but Changbin is sick of waking up to the singe of smoke infecting his nose. _They always end up making it themselves anyway._  
As expected, the two older boys are by the stove, while the youngers are opening windows and closing doors in an attempt to coax the smoggy smell out of the open-plan. All except one. 

“That’s gross,” Changbin says as he climbs out the window onto the fire escape- where Seungmin is smoking. He rolls his eyes,   
“IN said I could,”   
Changbin swats the air as a puff of smoke makes its way toward him.   
“They’re cloves n’ I only have one a day, when I’m stressed, okay?” Seungmin continues, balancing the butt in the corner of his mouth.   
“You’re stressed before breakfast? You need therapy, not nicotine,” Changbin laughs.   
“Breakfast stresses me out,” Seungmin sighs, glancing inside where Jeongin, Han and Felix wait, heedfully, for breakfast. 

“Thank you hyung~~” Jeongin coos as Chan hands him a plate.   
“Sorry for the mess,” Felix says. Chan just shakes his head fondly in response.  
Han says nothing when Minho serves him. 

“So,” Jeonging starts as he stuffs a strip of bacon into his mouth “who’s gonna help me with Hyunjin?”.   
“He doesn’t need to learn to shoot, I said I’d teach him to fight,” Minho chirps, as though his plans are finalised.   
“I gotta agree with Minho”, Chan chimes in, “he’s more likely to get himself in danger if he’s carrying something.”. The room erupts in conversation as they discuss whether or not Hyunjin would benefit from having a weapon.   
“Hey hey heyy!!” Jeongin yells, before taking a deep breath,   
“We agree he needs to toughen up and we agree he has to do it on his own terms?” he looks around the room, waiting for them all to confirm.   
“So 3 of us take him out today, and figure out what's gonna work for him?”.   
Minho immediately offers to teach him self defence. Everyone notices how neither Felix nor Han have offered to help Hyunjin with handling knives. On the one hand, this could provide a good opportunity for Felix and Hyunjin to bond, on the other, it could provide the same for Han and Minho. Jeongin needs to think.   
“Chan, Changbin, let's wash up,” 

Chan washes the dishes while Changbin sweeps. Jeongin sits on the surface by the sink.   
“I don’t know who to bring. Felix or Han?”   
“Han”, Chan says, “he’s already friends with Seungmin. It’s worth sending him, maybe he’ll warm up to Minho”. Changbin immediately opposes him,   
“Take Felix! Sure, Hyunjin is scared of him, but at least he won’t be distracted by the other two arguing.”   
“But Jeongin’ll be right there! He can make sure they don’t get too heated.”   
“Changbinnie,” Jeongin’s decided. Changbin’s face lights up, assuming the boss likes his idea,   
“I’ll take Han”. Changbin’s face drops as Chan’s smile mocks him. 

They let Jeongin drive to campus. Han sits in the back, his delicate frame flying across the seats at each turn. Minho, in the front, tries not to laugh every time he hears Han’s hushed grumbling- it’s exactly why he let Jeongin drive. He’s rough around corners, but sticks to the speed limit.   
Hyunjin sees a bright orange car pulling up and he just knows it's them.   
“Get in loser, we’re going shooting”, Jeongin winks. Hyunjin knows he’s being playful trying to lighten the mood but climbing into the backseat but he can’t help but to feel overwhelmed. A hand on his knee grounds him. Han speaks to him in a low tone,   
“You don’t have to do this, not if you dont wanna,”. It’s then that Hyunjin senses- Jisung feels the same as him. He’s newer than Hyunjin and he doesn’t want to fuck up. So Hyunjin responds lightly,   
“I want to, just promise you’ll go easy on me?”. Han smiles in response, sticking out his pinky,   
“Promise,” 

They drive out to an empty field. The grass is tall. It comes halfway up Jeongin’s calves- so it’s not really that tall- but for his city boy standards, it really is. It’s not particularly dense or strong, so it makes for a decent training ground. Hyunjin watches as Jeongin drips spots of dark ink onto Minho’s hands. Han is, again, perched in the car boot. It’s parked near a tree.   
“Take your shirt off”   
“What?”   
“Take it off.”   
Hyunjin almost stutters out another what, but looks over to Jeongin and Han who nod, Jeongin especially enthusiastic, gesturing towards Hyunjin. Hyunjin pulls it off. Minho looks him up and down   
“Well, you're about 50% of the way there…”- he mutters that, as though he’s assessing a specimen. That’s sometimes what Hyunjin feels like.   
“Let’s put those muscles to use eh?”- he says that loudly, waiting for an answer. Hyunjin just nods.   
“So I’m going to fight you- pretend to at least”. Hyunjin nods again, trying to show Minho that he’s listening. He’s already familiar with Minho, and as he continues explaining, he feels a lot less tense.   
“We’ll move slowly, and I won’t hurt you. The ink will leave a mark and we’ll know your blind spots. Don’t worry okay? This isn’t to test you or anything, it‘s just so that we know where you need improvement”   
“We?”, Hyunjin asks.   
“Han will do the same. Pens or something instead of knives.”   
Jeongin and Han play chess while Han waits for his turn with Hyunjin. He explains to Jeongin how to file the expenses of the bar, without making any fraud obvious,   
“You should explain it to Hyunjin too,” Jeongin tells him, moving his pieces and taking Han’s pawns.   
“Shit,” Han mutters. Jeongin is satisfied. Minho seems to be too, as he jogs over. He doesn’t say anything. He just waits for Jisung to leave, with his hands on his hips, making his impatience as obvious as possible.   
Minho sits in front of the board, rearranging the pieces. Jeongin doesn’t want to play, he wants to watch; he’s never seen Han fight. Minho couldn’t care less, but a glance upwards turns to a stare when he realises Han is shirtless too- both boys hold markers. They both attempt to mark the other- Hyunjin is already covered in small dark dashes, while the only thing on Jisung is a thin layer of sweat, illuminated by the late sun.   
“Han’s a good fighter isn’t he?”Jeongin asks, his attention turned back to the game as he makes his first move.   
“He’s alright.” Minho says after he's moved his piece.   
“Let’s not pretend you weren’t staring like that then” Jeongin rolls his eyes. All Minho can manage in response is a sharp look.   
“I think all of us, except Jisung himself, know why you treat him like that.”  
“Would you care to enlighten me?”   
“Not until you admit it.”.   
For a few minutes all that is heard is the tapping of wood until IN breaks the silence,   
“Checkmate”. 

IN forces Han into the passenger seat and Minho into the drivers one- after all if the two of them are going to be training Hyunjin, they should devise some sort of plan. Hyunjin hopes that they don’t start arguing on the road.   
“Jeongin, I mean IN?”   
“Yes Hyunjin hyung~~”   
“Can you come to the dorms with me? I need some help with my stuff.”  
“You're moving in?!”   
“Yeah, I figure I’d cut down on travel time and stuff.” he chokes out as Jeongin hugs him tightly,  
“Thank you, I promise, you’ll love it!”

As they pull into the parking lot. Jeongin pulls the gun from his belt, leaving it in the car, muttering something about how you shouldn’t have weapons on campus. Hyunjin doesn’t really know because he’s not really paying attention. He read something about weapon focus in school- before uni. It’s the idea that witnesses to a crime will forget details of what they’d seen, simply because they were focused on the weapon. That’s exactly what's happened with Hyunjin. He was so concerned with the legality of it all- the fraud, the weapons, the secrecy- he forgot to see the boys for who they were. If he’s in it, he has to stop being afraid and that means moving in.   
Now, with Jeongin lifting bags and boxes, Hyunjin feels the intimidation fizzling away.   
“IN, thanks for not forcing me to do anything- you know”   
“No of course not,”, he’s slightly breathless as they carry the boxes down the hall. “That wouldn’t be fair at all,”. They’re both silent until they reach the stairwell when Jeongin starts up again.   
“We just want you to feel protected, not scared y’know? You’re the only one of us who is inexperienced. You probably won’t ever end up in a fight. It’s just nice to feel strong.”.   
Oddly enough, Hyunjin knows exactly what Jeongin’s talking about.   
“It is nice.”

Back in the car Han feels weak. He’s embarrassed that he had to spar Hyunjin in front of Minho. He’s not insecure- he doesn’t doubt that he’s good- he just can’t stand the thought of Minho having anything to do with him. The entire journey home, even when the others talk, Han doesn’t say a single word. 

Changbin wakes up to a smell this time. Cinnamon and sugar, combined with the heat from the oven. It has to be a dream. It's only when Chan stirs too and sits up in bed that Changbin realises it’s not a hallucination. They share puzzled looks before investigating the scent. They’re met with muffins and coffee, as Jeongin proudly announces,   
“Who knew Felix could bake?”


	5. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> things are happening hehe! i really want the next chapter after this one to be long so maybe it'll take me a while to get it out! also once this arc is over itzy may or may not be minor characters... i haven't decided hehe <3  
> [ twitter](https://twitter.com/henchboych3nle)

The ice rattling in the shaker soothes Hyunjin. He and Seungmin spent all morning pasting up flyers around town and campus. He took extra care to concentrate them around the business department. If enough of Choi’s staff- many of whom are also students- get talking, it should lure him in. Still, Hyunjin needs to see it to believe it- how can IN just trust that his plans will work? He hasn’t even met the man and yet seems to predict his behaviour.   
He pours the martini perfectly. Felix and Han share an impressed look- they taught him well. He pours with a slight flair in fact- Felix didn’t teach him that. Felix hopes Hyunjin will let him help pick his clothes out. _What's the point of bartending if you’re not going to look hot doing it?_ To be honest Hyunjin doesn’t look terrible but sweats aren’t exactly ideal attire.   
Jeongin sips the drink,   
“Yummy,” his face lights up, “it’d be better if it wasn’t so diluted though”, he quips, clearly directed at Chan. Chan just sighs fondly, not bothering with an explanation. As many times as he reiterates the rules Jeongin just doesn’t accept it. Changbin is not so easily defeated as he sets his hands on Jeongin’s shoulders soothingly,   
“Innie, only on special occasions”.   
“I know hyung but-”  
“But nothing! For the sake of our leader's liver” Changbin coos. It’s enough to make Jeongin cringe. Chan hides a smile but catches Lix doing the same. Changbin may be persistent but his tactics work given that Jeongin’s moved on to quizzing Hyunjin on various cocktails and drinks. 

Outside the bar, Minho stares at the sign. It reads “The Strays”. Naming the place was the last order of business. It fits well. _8 strays._ Chan joins him. He notices but he doesn’t say anything.   
“It’s good huh?”   
“Really good,” Minho agrees.   
“You ready to open?” Chan asks. It’s an odd question Minho thinks.   
“Min, I know what you’re like. No angsty doubts or weirdly philosophical takes?”   
“Gosh hyung I’m not that sensitive okay… greater good or whatever, I get it, it’s fine.” Minho shuts down the interrogation immediately. He appreciates what Chan’s trying to do though.   
“Thanks hyung,” he adds. 

Chan moves onto Felix.   
“Heyy,” he awkwardly enters Lix’s room and silently celebrates Han’s absence. It’s not that he dislikes Han, he just wants to talk to Felix privately. Chan gets the impression he’s the listening type. The type to just have a conversation. He loves Changbin and Jeongin, sure, and as he’s gotten to know the others he’s gotten closer to them. He just doesn’t want to be giving advice or debating a plan or comforting someone. All he wants is a chat.   
“Hi,” Felix beams, swivelling on his chair and gesturing for Chan to sit on the bed. He takes the invitation to throw himself across it and sigh deeply.   
“How are you?”   
“I think I should be asking you that”.   
“I’m tired” Chan rolls around.   
“Only tired?”. Felix puts down what he was fiddling with at the desk, turning his full attention to Chan. Felix would be lying if he said he hadn’t noticed Chan’s constant productivity. He’s more than glad to loosen any of his strains.   
“Worried. Definitely for Han. I guess only for Han. Has he been normal?”  
“Hmm, pretty much. But don’t worry. He’ll get used to everything soon.” Felix thinks before piping up again. “How’s Hyunjin? You’re, like, closer to him than me?”  
“He’s alright- he’s like Han, he just needs time to adjust. But hey, obviously I’d ask about Han, but why do you ask about Jin?” Chan teases.   
Felix blushes and half-mutters-half-squeals, “Do you think he’d let me pick his outfits?”   
Chan winks as he responds, “I’ll work on it”. 

Hyunjin is perched on the edge of Felix’s bed. He can see himself in the mirror, wearing a grey satin shirt and black trousers. His long black hair is pushed back into a low ponytail as Felix leans over him, dabbing eyeliner over his eyelids. The smoky look is pretty hot. Felix says he’ll do the same to his face, so that they match. He also gives Hyunjin a detailed description of how to blend perfectly and how to match clothes so that he doesn’t look overdressed. _I already know how to do this stuff._   
“You do, do you? Why do you always dress badly then?”, Felix asks, on the edge of sarcasm.   
“I said…”, Hyunjin doesn’t realise he actually spoke. He didn’t mean to.   
“Sorry,” he sighs.   
Felix smiles, using the hand that was holding Hyunjin’s chin stable to tilt his head up. As he looks into Hyunjin’s eyes he speaks- a deeper tone than intended-   
“It’s okay, I don’t mind doing it anyway, you’re pretty.”  
“Right,” Hyunjin’s breath hitches. His eyes go from their usual narrow state to wide as he gulps.   
_Fuck._ Felix watches as Hyunjin leaves, murmuring something about “I’ll leave you to change”. Felix doesn’t move. It wasn’t supposed to sound like that. It was just to make Hyunjin feel better, just to be nice. _Fucccck._

The first night isn't too sparse. A few of Hyunjin’s classmates are there and promise to come the next day. There are already rumours about the backroom, as Hyunjin notices some older men- and a few women, poking around asking about amateur games. At one point Hyunjin gets asked, and simply points in the direction of Chan, who diligently guards the door. He knows he’s done the right thing when Chan flashes him a dimpled smile and a thumbs up. _Maybe this isn’t so bad._ Hyunjin thinks. 

The next night he almost regrets thinking it was easy. There are a lot more girls this time, which means more people, which means more work. Han and Felix have been alternating days that they help Hyunjin. Today it’s Lix’s turn and Hyunjin is less than thrilled to overhear the customers discuss which of the two they’d prefer to shag. In fact, during their breakfast meeting’s, IN brings it up, praising the two of them. When Lix remarks,   
“Ah, it’s all Hyunjin,”, this time it's less daunting. Hyunjin appreciates it in fact. Jeongin tells them to play it up, get more people talking about the hot bartenders. He decides they should stop alternating, and keep Jin and Lix behind the bar.

The day after that Jeongin tells them,   
“You gotta chat shit,”   
“Chat shit?” Lix asks.   
“Just start talking about how awful Choi’s products are, anything about him that’s bad”.   
“How is that going to do anything?”, Hyunjin asks.   
“It’ll make him mad.”   
“You don’t even know if he’s going to hear it.”   
“Oh he will. They’re launching a new line for their anniversary. Rumours spread, Hyunjin. So start one”  
That night Hyunjin tells as many people as he can- he found a fingernail in his facemask, a dried up plaster in his serum, hairs on a brand new lip-balm.   
It's around 1 am when Chan rushes to the bar- he doesn’t even leave his post to pee- Hyunjin mentally prepares for a scolding although he’s certain he’s done nothing wrong.   
“Do you know who you just spoke to?”   
Hyunjin just shakes his head. Chan leans in because something about it makes the situation feel serious and Chan likes the dramatics.   
“She’s an editor for The Moon. Whatever you said to her ‘s gonna be in the tabs t’morrow”.   
Just like that, just like IN trusted it to, it happened. It all started. 

The next morning, there it is. Not a headline, but relevant enough to get a hefty chunk of columns. Changbin hands around the copies. 8 seems excessive, but IN says “we have to thank our friend-” he squints at the magazine, searching for her name, “Lia- somehow, don’t we?”. A few seconds later- after shoving half a pancake into his mouth he says,   
“Look into her Hyunjin,”.   
Hyunjin looks over to Seungmin and Seungmin nods. He’ll cover a shift next week.   
That night is the last one before they expect Mr Choi. It goes normally. 

It’s the night after that Hyunjin finds himself comforting Felix. He says   
“It’s been a while since I’ve been around bad guys”. His lips quirk upwards when he speaks, but Hyunjin notices how his eyes dart to the door whenever someone enters.   
Jeongin knows it's a waiting game, so he waits. Han is nervous. Seungmin isn’t. Minho’s good at hiding it. He can never read Changbin though. He’s being surprisingly normal.  
This time when Felix’s eyes shoot up, they stay there. They widen. He looks at Chan. That’s when Jin realises, he was not scared at all- he was excited. He was waiting for Choi Jihyeon to walk through that door.


End file.
